A Lesson in Acceptance Taught the Wade Way
Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union are publicly teaching the world a lesson on what it means to unconditionally love your child out loud.
In February, Dwayne Wade spoke out in support of his 12-year-old daughter Zaya on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, confirming that she is transgender and that his love for her remains the same. While all eyes are on the couple, especially Wade, their message on the matter has remained constant, reinforcing the fact that they have a lot to learn as allies and as proud parents of a child of the LGBTQ+ community.
During the interview, Wade recalled the moment his daughter, born Zion, came home and told him she wanted to be referred to with female pronouns and by the name of Zaya, calling her a leader and commending her for speaking and sticking to her truth. Though this is a considerable change for Wade and Union to adjust to, the couple are intent on not only doing their homework, but doing anything necessary to ensure Zaya feels loved, supported, and comfortable with her truth.
““We are just trying to figure out as much information as we can to make sure we give our child the best opportunity to be her best self,” ”
This act of complete acceptance and a willingness to educate oneself about the transgender community is exactly why Wade and Union are parent goals!
Considering the existing gaps between what’s considered “the norm” for different generations, some were shocked by the couple’s immediate understanding of Zaya’s gender identity. These generational gaps, however, are no reason to reject what is unknown or different, as they represent fear and a lack of knowledge.
Seeking out information has been a crucial part of Wade and Union’s journey to learning to support Zaya as needed. Wade shared just how committed the duo are to this goal with Ellen DeGeneres when he said Union took it upon herself to personally reach out to cast members of the FX series Pose to learn about issues pertinent to the LGBTQ+ community. In Wade’s eyes, not supporting his child was simply not an option, and the former NBA star emphasized the fact that unconditionally loving Zaya comes naturally to him and Union.
Source: essence.com
Like most parents, Wade and Union want their kids to thrive and feel comfortable being exactly who they are. The decision to open up about this to the public now arguably demonstrates the couples’ desire to normalize their acceptance of Zaya as parents, setting an example for other parents who might struggle confronting a similar reality.
After Zaya attended Miami pride and wore a crop top and acrylic nails in a Thanksgiving family photo Union posted on Instagram in 2019, the family received criticism and hate over social media. Wade took to Twitter to simultaneously disregard what others had to say about his family and to express his trusted, fool-proof parenting motto: acknowledge, love and support your children at all costs.
Wade has even faced the prospect of compromising his reputation as a former professional athlete and losing the support of fans who disagree with his decision; however, he has made it clear that his priority is and always will be his family.
What others think, especially those who expected him to turn against his own child, doesn’t faze Wade. From his perspective, the decision was not a hard one, as his love and loyalty is to his family, which he makes his constant priority.
In a touching video, Zaya described how she thinks it’s important to be yourself at all costs, saying “What’s the point of being on this earth if you’re going to try to be someone you’re not?…Be true and don’t really care what the stereotypical way of being you is.”
““It’s okay to listen, to love and respect your children exactly as they are.””
Through listening to Zaya’s thought process spoken out loud, Wade is able to understand what motivates her to speak her truth, and the value of lending his support and a listening ear is crucial.
As a Black celebrity couple with an unmatched platform, the Wades have shone a light on what it looks like to be unconditionally loving parents. Gabrielle Union, being the outspoken advocate for justice that she is, has complimented Dwayne Wade well as his partner and a parental figure to Zaya.
